The Russian Ministry of Justice included in the list of “foreign agents” Deputy of the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg Boris Vishnevsky, lawyer Vadim Prokhorov and the human rights project “First Department”. The relevant information appeared in the updated list of the department.
The ministry writes that Boris Vishnevsky “took part as a respondent on information platforms provided by foreign media and foreign agents, and opposed the special military operation in Ukraine.” In addition, he was charged with disseminating false information about decisions of the Russian authorities.
- Boris Vishnevsky is a St. Petersburg politician, journalist and oppositionist, author of the telegram channel “VishNevskoyeVremya”. From 2016 to 2021, he was the leader of the Yabloko party faction in the Legislative Assembly of St. Petersburg, and is currently a deputy of the Legislative Assembly.
According to the department, lawyer Prokhorov “disseminated false information about the decisions taken by public authorities of the Russian Federation and the policies pursued by them, and took part in the creation of messages and materials of foreign agents for an unlimited circle of people. He is the director of a fund included in the register of foreign agents and resides outside the Russian Federation.”
- Vadim Prokhorov was the lawyer of opposition politician Vladimir Kara-Murza, who was sentenced to 25 years in prison under articles of treason, military “fakes” and “undesirable organization.” He also represented the interests of Ilya Yashin and Boris Nemtsov. Prokhorov left Russia in 2023 due to threats of criminal prosecution.
The Ministry of Justice claims that the “First Department” “opposed the special military operation in Ukraine, disseminated false information about the decisions taken by public authorities of the Russian Federation and the policies pursued by them.” The project was also charged with disseminating information about financial support to Ukraine and “undesirable organizations.”
- The “First Department” was created by former members of the association of lawyers and advocates “Team 29”. The project helps those involved in politically motivated criminal cases, including those charged with extremism and treason. Lawyers of the First Department defend, among other things, journalist Ivan Safronov . The project also dealt with the cases of scientists accused of treason.
The legislation on “foreign agents” is becoming stricter every year. On December 1, 2022, the law “On control over the activities of persons under foreign influence” came into force, as well as numerous legislative amendments to “foreign agency” regulation. You can read about who is recognized as “foreign agents” and on what grounds, what restrictions these people and organizations face, as well as what risks those who interact with them bear in our report .
In the fall of 2021, OVD-Info launched the Inoteka project. We explore the practice of applying laws on “foreign agents”, talk about their impact on civil society and specific people, initiate discussions with experts and suggest ways of possible changes. In December 2021, together with the Center for the Protection of Media Rights, we began to provide legal support to people and organizations that were included in the registers of “foreign agents.”
March 30 In addition, the Academy for Human Rights, a non-state institution of further education, was excluded from the register of “foreign agents” on March 22. The Ministry of Justice made this decision in connection with the liquidation of the institution.